Yan Hua learns of his going abroad a few days later when Fei Ying tells her.
âHe went with Li Yi. Heâs going into Eastern European markets.â
Fei Ying looks at Yan Hua secretly. âDidnât he tell you that?â
âNo.â Yan Hua puts down the magazine and they two sit in the cafe.
This is their own salon titled by a highly positive name--Cradle of Hope. They just officially moved the foundation over yesterday, in a small conference room behind the cafe.
âSomeone on micro blog recommends that our dessert is tasty.â Seeing her not want to mention Lang Ruoxian, Fei Ying doesnât ask cleverly. After all, the culprit is her brother-in-law.
âTomorrow is the National Day. There shall be lots of guests here.â Yan Hua stretches. âDo you have any other plans?â
Fei Ying shrugs her shoulders. âWe wonât go anywhere. Xiaojiu is going to shoot a promotional video for the kindergarten. Right, her teacher said she called Gungun too, but he refused.â
âHe didnât tell me.â Yan Hua says curiously. âWhatâs the matter with the boy? But itâs normal if he doesnât go for filming, because he always dislikes taking a photo.â
While they are talking, Chen Hong stops her BMW at the door and comes in stepping on high heels of about 8 cm.
âYou two are so comfortable. See how exhausted I am!â She goes to the bar and takes a cold drink by herself. âWow! Nice!â
Yan Hua pours her a cup of fruit tea. âDonât drink cold.â
âOne of my cargoes is seized by Koreans who claim we are fishing illegally.â Chen Hong spits. âIâve got all approval procedures, and the Korean devil just asks for trouble!â
âSo what are you afraid of?â Fei Ying says, not knowing anything about the shipping. âJust let them inspect!â
âEach day they examine, Iâll miss millions! Who shall I ask for the compensation?â Chen Hong strikes the table. âDue to the recent tensions of the two countries, they are always looking for a chance to make trouble with us.â
She asks Yan Hua when she finishes venting. âDid a girl called Huang Rong call you?â
âWho?â Fei Ying almost forgets the girl as they were not in touch for a long time. âWhat did she want with Hua?â
âHow could I know?â Chen Hong repairs her makeup. âI came yesterday to place some stuff and met her at the door. She asked me if Yan Hua was here, I said no and she left. I thought she would contact you.â
Yan Hua puts down her tea cup. âShe should have something to tell me. Iâll call her.â
Huang Rong does have something to talk, but she hesitates over the phone to say it clearly, so they agree to meet in the cafe tomorrow afternoon. Because the day after tomorrow, the reality show will start filming, and Yan Hua needs to prepare in advance.
When Huang Rong comes next day Gungun has a holiday. Yan Hua takes him to play in the cafe, which has a special room for children to play and rest.
âGungun!â Huang Rong gives the fatty kid a robot toy.
Gungun gives her a lovely smile. âThanks, auntie!â
âWe sit over there.â Yan Hua takes a window seat. âDo you wanna coffee?â
Huang Rong nods shyly like a young married woman, which causes Yan Hua smile. âAre you in love?â
âHow can you tell?â Huang Rong nearly jumps up as if her tail was stepped on.
Yan Hua shakes her head. âItâs written on your face.â
âIs it so obvious?â Huang Rong touches her cheeks, then pulls the hair. âGod! Iâm done!â
The story starts six months ago when a shipment of her companyâs goods were looted in Haiti. Her father was chicken and decided to give up the wares.
âItâs worth over 8 million!â Huang Rong says. âOur company is not a big group as the Lang Family. If 8 million above is gone, it will have a great impact on our business.â So she sneaked off to Haiti without informing her families, trying to retrieve the cargo.
As weâve known, Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world, with rampant piracy along the coast of Somalia. The nation for years relies on aid from developed countries, and Chinese peacekeepers often go there too.
âI was kidnapped.â Hang Rong says dully. âAt the airport, I was betrayed by a taxi driver who sent me straight to a gang of thugs.â
Yan Hua looks at her in shock. âHow dare you have no fear to...â
âYouâre saying I have no brains, right?â Huang Rong curls her lips. âThatâs what my man said. He said I had no brains. I know I was wrong, but I never expected such a mess there.â
âSo,â Yan Hua quickly grasps her point. âWho is your man?â
Huang Rong puts on her shy young married woman look again, and clasps her face in hands. âIt is... Itâs the one who I love!â
âBehave yourself.â Yan Hua shivers. âThe man you love stays in Haiti?â
âHeâs a soldier!â Huang Rong says at once. âA colonel, really awesome!â
Yan Hua nods and takes the coffee cup in front of her. âWell, go back home and sleep, then wake up and forget it all. Look around, there are younger brothers and elder cadres that you can choose as a spouse. Do take a right one of equal social status to love!â
âYan Hua!â Huang Rong takes her hands. âYou say it in the same way! Why canât I love a soldier? Whatâs wrong with them? They sacrifice themselves for their country and people! How can you dislike them?â
Yan Hua pats her. âCalm down! Who says we dislike them? They are the loveliest people, as you say, shedding their blood for their motherland and people. They are heroes.â
âThen why donât you even listen to me and tell me to give up?â Huang Rong says sadly. âThatâs the same attitude you all have, even he.â
Yan Hua pauses. âYou mean, you are rejected?â
âThatâs why I came to you!â Huang Rong stares at her pitifully. âI know he likes me, but he is afraid of hurting me. So he refuses to be with me. Hua, tell me, what should I do?â
âYou do love him so much?â Yan Hua canât quite understand her emotions.
Huang Rong nods vigorously. âHeâs my savior!â
Well... It reminds her that Lang Ruoxian is her savior too. Watching Huang Rongâs glum face, Yan Hua wonders if Lang Ruoxian needs her to save his life, she would do it too.
But the love thing... She shakes her head, finding it hard to accept that love can be so obsessive.
âDo you think I ought to go to him?â Huang Rongâs eyes look blank. âI donât know when he will be back. He canât be in Haiti all the time!â
Yan Hua sighs. âIf you do love him and want to be with him, you have to deal with your parents first. Do they agree?â
âMy dad canât control me, and my mom listens to me!â Huang Rong says. âItâs not the problem. The point is how to get him say yes!â
The colonel that Huang Rong loves is He Zheng. Yan Hua certainly canât let her go to Haiti so abruptly, so she assures her that she will check his background first.
âI heard those high ranked officers are second, third or fourth generations of the countryâs founding families. Maybe the one Huang Rong loves is also one of them.â Fei Ying is also interested in this anecdote. âYi, can you help us to check?â
Fei Yi nods. âBut military personnel information is classified and I can only track back to some simple family backgrounds.â
âThatâs enough.â Yan Hua says. âIf he comes from the central office in Beijing, Iâm afraid he may despise Huang Rong.â
At night, Yan Hua says to Gungun when he goes to bed. âThere are many uncles and aunties carrying cameras to shoot at our home tomorrow.â
âIs mommy going to be on TV?â Gungun looks frightened.
Yan Hua really doesnât know why the child is so afraid of the camera, and he is reluctant to take a photo usually.
âNo. Do you remember? We are now a family with Uncle Fei Shan. He is on a TV show and weâre all involved.â Yan Hua told Gungun before about Fei Shan.
She surely didnât mention Fei Shan and she posing as lovers, just told her fatty son that his uncle would be one family member for a long time in the future. And Gungun asked her wisely. âDoes Mommy like Uncle Fei Shan? You wanna him to be my daddy?â
Yan Hua was speechless.
âDo you like it?â
Gungun tilted his head and thought. âIâll like it if Mommy likes. Then weâre one family with Xiaojiu!â
âYes. One family.â
Therefore, in Gungunâs young heart, Fei Shan may be his future father. Since itâs a job of the future father, he certainly will cooperate.
âGungun will be good!â He takes Yan Huaâs hand. âMommy, tell me what I canât do and I wonât.â
Yan Hua is so moved by her sonâs words that she bends down to kiss his fat cheek. âJust be as good as usual. Youâre always a good boy!â
âAlright!â Gungun is somewhat satisfied and kisses her back. âMommy, good night!â
Fei Shan attends some activities at daytime next day. As agreed before, he would back to her house after 4:00 p.m. and they have dinner together, after which he would go to his own house across the street. As it is the first day of filming, Fei Ying feels uneasy and runs over with Xiaojiu after lunch.
âIs Xiaojiu okay?â Yan Hua finds the little girl in a sullen mood.
Fei Ying points in the direction of Chen Hongâs house. âSister Chen took Mingxi to deal with the cargo. Sheâs sad that they would be back after a few days!â
âSister Xiaojiu, arenât you happy seeing me?â Gungun is shocked. âBrother Mingxi is not here but Gungun is here! Donât you love me anymore?â
Xiaojiu looks up and says earnestly. âI decided to marry Mingxi and be his bribe when I grow up. So I can only love him from now on.â
âI lost my beloved sister!â Gungun runs toward the stairs, clutching his face. He looks back halfway, biting his lips and pretending weeping, then keeps running away.
âHahaha!â Fei Ying is almost dying of laughter. âWhere did he learn that?â
Yan Hua rubs between her eyebrows. âI donât know...â
When does her son become a showman?
âAuntie, is Gungun mad at me?â Xiaojiu is worried. âWell... Then Iâll go on loving him.â
Yan Hua touched her sweet little head. âGo upstairs to take your brother down, will you? Auntie will serve you some dessert.â